


Truth or Lie

by crowley_you_sinnamon_roll



Category: Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-07-18 12:55:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7315999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowley_you_sinnamon_roll/pseuds/crowley_you_sinnamon_roll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the help of a friend’s connections, you are able to acquire a job as Rob Benedict’s personal assistant. As time goes on, your work relationship with Rob starts to turn into something else. Something that you’re forced to keep secret because of the notorious skeleton in the closet, who threatens to destroy what you’ve established with Rob and everything in between.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ocean Eyes

The lights attached to the ceiling of the interview room were far too bright for your liking. There was a certain exposure you couldn’t shake, a revealing that put you on edge. Your hands rested stiffly in your lap, fingers twined messily together as you fought to keep your composure, to douse your anxiety. 

Due to a friend’s connections, you were interviewing for a job as a personal assistant to some actor. What was his name? Rob, something? You couldn’t remember anything you had learned from your extensive research, but if you could just forge through this interview then you would be fine.

“Hello! Thank you for coming in. What’s your name?” A middle-aged woman greeted you with a smile just as bright as the lights, making your shoulders tense an extra degree.

Your name. What was in a name? An identity? Merely a title? Did it really matter? You blinked your eyes against the harsh light, trying to focus on something less intense. You had practiced this so many times, but when it came to showtime you were one to still freeze up once the spotlight hit you. A crooked smile, meant for her not for you, crossed your face, your lips forming a name that may have been your known title, but it definitely wasn’t your identity.

~*~

“Congrats on getting the job, Y/N!”

Your friend’s enthusiastic words made you smile, a warm feeling of self-pride washing over you. Evidently, you had nailed the interview once that name had left your lips. “Thanks for hooking me up,” you told her, shifting to get more comfortable on your couch, your body sinking back against the polyester material.  

“Rob’s a total sweetheart. You’re gonna love him,” she gushed over your new boss, her hands darting about to make excited motions.

“I’m meeting him tomorrow at a café in Downtown LA. What do you think I should wear?” You asked as you hauled yourself to your feet, moving through your small apartment towards your bedroom. You pulled open your closet and began rummaging through, an unsatisfied look settling on your face at your options. You had been an assistant before, but it was more business-centered. This job seemed a lot more relaxed etiquette-wise, and it involved a lot more running around with your boss.

“Something cute.”

You stopped your frustrated yanking on what nice clothes you had and poked your head out of your bedroom to give her a scolding look. “I want to look professional, Quinn.”

Quinn rolled her eyes in response before joining you in front of your closet. “I’ve worked with Rob before on the Supernatural set. Trust me, he’s a really chill guy. I don’t want you overwhelming him and yourself with your stiffness,” Quinn told you, nudging your side playfully before pulling out clothes and tossing them onto your bed.

“A denim button-down and white skinny jeans. That’s what you want me to wear on my first day?” You questioned, running your fingers along the light blue material. Truthfully, it was a cute outfit, and you would just have to take Quinn’s word for it being appropriate.

“Yep. Just trust me,” Quinn replied, portraying pure confidence. She tossed your white Converse onto the bed beside the other clothes before shutting your closet. “Now, go to sleep. Don't drag ass in the morning,” she told you before leaning over to pull you into a tight hug.

“Alright, thanks, Mom,” you openly smirked at her motherly antics. Deep down, you appreciated her friendship with all that you had. You had moved to California a few years ago, and you had known nobody. You were alone and remained alone until you came across Quinn. That's when California really started to feel like home to you. After years of feeling out of place, you had finally found somewhere you could comfortably exist. Until the truth came out.

~*~

The busy hustle of Downtown Los Angeles flickered across the lenses of your sunglasses, your eyes moving across various faces, attempting to seek out Rob Benedict. You had arrived fifteen minutes early to ensure you didn't make a bad first impression by being late. A job, some sort of stability, was needed in your life. You had decided to sit outside of the café, intent on taking advantage of the nice weather.

“Y/N?”

You turned your head to look behind you at a man approaching, a dashing smile on his face. That was Rob Benedict, alright. One thing you clearly remembered from the photos of him you sifted through online was that killer smile. You offered him your own bright smile before standing from your chair, taking a deep breath to steady yourself. “Hi, Rob,” you greeted, his name leaving your lips so naturally. You extended your hand out for a handshake, your eyes catching a hint of his behind his sunglasses.

Rob grasped your hand firmly, shaking for a few beats as you greeted each other in comfortable silence. Once you became acquainted, he released you and sat in the empty chair across from you. “So, I was told you’d be a perfect fit for this job. Quick on your feet, good in pressuring situations, that kind of thing,” Rob kicked off the conversation, lounging in the metal chair casually as he gazed at you from behind his dark shades. He was trying to get a good read of you, but you gave up nothing, remaining completely mysterious. He was just going to have to try a little harder to get to know you better.

“I’ve been an assistant before, so I kind of know what to expect. I was told you mostly just needed help with getting your schedule straight,” you replied, making yourself adopt his relaxed nature.  _ Don’t be so stiff _ .

Rob cracked a smile, a small chuckle leaving him. “Yeah, yeah that’s what I’m struggling with a bit. I have a lot of things going on, so I need someone to help keep me pointed in the right direction.”

“Well, I’m your person. Anything you need, I’ll do,” you assured him. Quinn was right; he was a nice guy. You studied him for a moment, noting how his fingers danced on the edge of the table as he spoke. He was just as nervous as you were.

“Great. But before I put you to work, I’d like to get to know you better. We’ll be spending quite a lot of time together in these upcoming months,” Rob told you, bringing his hand up to slide his sunglasses off of his face, blue eyes coming into focus.

You had always thought blue eyes were particularly chilling, having an icy air about them, but his eyes reminded you of the ocean. They were that deep color that the water should be, but it wasn’t because of being tampered with. His eyes were pure. Following suit, you removed your own sunglasses and placed them on the table, meeting his eyes without any barriers. “What would you like to know?” You asked, blinking slowly, calmly.

Rob leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his white button-down snug around his biceps and shoulders. “What’s your favorite color?” He asked, resting his chin on the tops of his knuckles, a cheeky smile crossing his face.

You couldn’t help but smile at the simple question. You began to relax more, your posture changing so that you could lean back and cross your legs at your thighs. Did you even have a favorite color? You brought your eyes back to his, your teeth caressing your bottom lip briefly before you answered. “Blue,” you replied, once again studying those ocean eyes.

“Are you from here?” Rob asked, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.

Despite him being older than you, he acted so youthful, movements energetic and eyes full of wonder, like staring into twin galaxies. His question made you shift a bit in your seat, your thoughts conflicting. Truth or lie? You wanted him to know you, but, then again, you didn’t.  _ Lie _ . “No, I moved here a few years ago from Arizona,” you told him, your lips forming the lie way too easily for your liking. It wasn’t a full lie because you weren’t from California, but Arizona was just a place you had visited family once or twice.

“Oh, cool. Why move here?”

“I wanted a fresh start somewhere new.” That was the truth.

Rob accepted your answer with an understanding smile, a small nod accompanying his silent response. “Can I buy you a coffee?” He offered, already beginning to stand from his seat, his hand reaching into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

“Oh … um … I’m fine,” you stumbled over your words, surprised at his kind offer.

“I have to thank you for agreeing to help manage me and my craziness,” Rob chuckled, his eyes beckoning you to give in.

How could you resist those eyes? “Sure, thanks,” you broke and joined him to walk into the café side-by-side. A lady rushed out of the door, forcing you to quickly side-step and run into Rob’s side. An embarrassed blush broke out across your cheeks as you muttered an apology, feeling Rob’s arm curl around your waist to steady you.

“Someone’s in a rush,” Rob commented playfully, pushing the door open for you to duck inside before you did something else embarrassing. He followed you to the counter and turned to face you. “What would you like?”

The only time you had ever ventured into a café was to buy coffee for your boss. You were completely happy with the Keurig coffee maker in your apartment. So, from lack of experience, you had no clue what you wanted. “Surprise me?” You suggested shyly, figuring he would know a few good options.

Rob lit up at the challenge and turned back around to order as your eyes wandered around the café’s modern setting. As he waited for his receipt, Rob peered at you from the corner of his eye, watching you take the time to take in the details. “You’re very observant,” he commented before leading you to the side to wait.

“Ignorance is dangerous,” you mindlessly murmured, reeling off one of your self-taught lessons. You had a habit of learning things the hard way.

“That’s true,” Rob replied after pondering for a moment. He smiled a little, enjoying the way he felt around you. He felt nearly challenged, pushed to think deeper, to pay more attention. The calling of his first name brought him around, his expression only brightening as he took the paper cups, steady wisps of steam flowing from them. “Prepare to be surprised.”

“Okay, hold on,” you told him, bouncing on your toes for a moment before giving your shoulders a shake, a smirk crossing your face as you stopped “preparing” yourself.

Rob laughed at your antics before handing over your cup, hopeful eyes peering over his cup as he took a careful sip. He had given you the same thing he always got. It was just a little something to help him get his day started.

You brought the edge to your lips, taking a small sip to avoid scalding your tongue. You made a thoughtful face before nodding and taking another sip, giving him a thumbs up with your free hand. He had good taste. “So, what stuff do you have coming up?” You asked, distancing yourself from your cup so that you didn’t suck it down. 

“Are you busy today? If you aren’t, I can show you some of the things coming up,” Rob offered, his body language a bit shy.

You could tell he handled social interaction a lot like you did. “I’m not busy. It’s probably a good idea to start as soon as possible so you won’t have to stress so much,” you took up his offer, curious on just what he was up to. You would have to tag along for a lot of it anyway.

“Right! Want to ride with me or …?” Rob breathed out, trailing off to let you decide.

“I took a taxi, so lead the way, boss,” you responded, extending your free hand towards the door.

“You know, I think we’re going to get along just fine,” Rob told you sincerely, a happy smile forming on his lips.

“Me too, Rob. Me too.”

~*~

The car ride wasn’t as awkward as you had expected it to be. Car rides were usually awkward, but you enjoyed talking to him. Well, you mostly asked him questions and listened to him gush about Louden Swain, Supernatural, Kings of Con, and the like. He was clearly a passionate guy, and that impressed you more than you realized at that moment.

“So, what do you like to do? Like in your spare time?” Rob asked, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel.

“Oh … I sketch a little,” you replied with a casual shrug as you gazed out of the side window, watching the city flash by. You had started sketching at a young age. It had been one of the activities you were better at expressing your emotions through, so you picked it up and ran with it. However, it remained a hobby, not a job or school opportunity. Too much had happened. Too much had to change.

“Oh, really? That’s cool. I can’t draw a straight line to save my life,” Rob chuckled, giving his head an amused shake.

“Well, what you lack in artistic skills, you make up for in musical talent,” you assured him, reaching out to give his shoulder an encouraging nudge without even properly thinking the action through. You drew your hand back nearly instantly, mentally scolding yourself.  _ Be professional. _ But not too professional.

Rob didn’t seem to mind the touch, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Here we are,” Rob announced as he drove through a gated property to come upon a fairly nice house.

You leaned more towards the window, studying the structure with fascinated eyes. “Nice house,” you commented as he parked inside his garage, the car shutting off a moment later. You exited and followed him down the stone path that led to his front door, stepping carefully across the stone slabs.

“This place definitely feels home-y,” Rob replied, opening the front door for you with a warm smile, further inviting you in.

You had to admit that you enjoyed his company, noticing the lack of anxiety that you felt when you were with him. “Thanks,” you murmured as you passed by him to walk into the foyer, feeling a certain calmness once you entered. It did feel home-y. His house was clean, but you could tell it was lived in, used, and appreciated. You could also tell it wasn't busy. “So, no kids?” You asked, turning towards him as he joined you at your side.

Rob shook his head, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Nope. No kids. No wife. Just me,” Rob told you, glancing around at the space, his eyes flickering to the openings as if he expected his non-existent children and wife to come rushing through to greet him. His smile seemed to wilt a little at the realization that he didn't have that when so many of his friends did.

You could tell you may have hit a soft spot by asking. “Well, that's totally fine. You shouldn't rush those kinds of things. When you find her, you'll know,” you assured him, once again reaching out to touch his upper arm, the action comforting and lingering. You knew you should pull your hand away, but you wanted to comfort him, and you couldn't ignore the impressive curve of muscle beneath your palm.

Rob brightened at your words, his other hand reaching over to rest over yours in a silent show of gratitude. “Let's head up to my office,” he told you, motioning for you to follow him up the stairs to a small room complete with a desk and a few cabinets that were overflowing with papers. Barely an inch of the walls weren't covered with some sort of marked up calendar, scribbled ideas on notebook paper, or fan art. He was obviously a busy man.

“These are really cool. Fans drew these for you?” You questioned as you approached the wall, admiring the obvious hard work and love put into each drawing. You had never worked on a piece with that much emotion before. You just never had the inspiration for it.

“Yeah! They’re great, huh? If you want to add to the wall, feel free,” Rob chuckled, his hand brushing off your shoulder as he passed you to stand in front of a large calendar hanging on the wall. There were tons of marks and notes littered within the boxes, showing off his strenuous workload that was nearly upon him.

You smirked a little at his comment before moving to his side, glancing over at the upcoming weeks. “So, a lot of meetings for Supernatural, even more meetings for Kings of Con, studio time with Louden Swain, conventions, and other events in between. Are you auditioning for something?” You asked, squinting to try to make out a scribbled word in one of the boxes.

“Yeah, it’s like a professor role. Just a small thing I wanted to do,” Rob replied, crossing his arms over his chest, observing the rest of the calendar with a sigh.

“Alright, well, I’ll organize this a bit better for you,” you told him, gesturing to the entire situation at hand. You needed to make a run to the office store later.

“Great, great. I thought I could handle all of this by myself at first, but I took a step back and realized that I would lose my mind if I attempted that,” Rob replied, flashing you a grateful smile as he leaned against the edge of his desk.

“There’s nothing wrong with a little help.”

“You’re right about that. So, should we start organizing now?” Rob questioned, gazing at all of his stuff. It was a lot of work, but he seemed to have found the right person for the job.

“Actually, I need to go to an office store or something to pick up a few things. It’ll make this a whole lot easier,” you told him, a little surprised he was so eager to start. “Also, it’s my job to do this, so you don’t have to, you know, worry about helping me,” you pointed out with a small laugh. Your last job as an assistant involved you being told a task and then you doing it without any extra direction or help. You had grown accustomed to that, and you were an independent person anyway. Plus, it was obvious he was busy enough doing the things on the calendar you were going to organize.

“Oh, right,” Rob laughed, shaking his head at himself. He had never had a personal assistant before, so the entire process was new. “But if you have any questions or need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I won’t. Want me to come back tomorrow and start?” You asked, noticing the box for tomorrow’s date was empty.

“Yeah, perfect. Here, I can give you my number so you can shoot me a text if you get lost on the way here … or if you need anything,” Rob offered, holding his hand out nearly shyly.

You tapped through to your contacts and placed your phone in his hand, your fingers brushing against the warmth of his palm before you withdrew. You watched him tap away, noticing a devilish smirk grow on his face before he handed you back your phone. You gave him a questioning look before checking your contacts. There was no  _ Rob Benedict _ in your phone, but there was an unfamiliar number listed under  _ Big Boss _ . You busted into a fit of laughter, rolling your eyes at his joke. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, boss,” you quipped.

“That’s Big Boss, and I can drive you home,” Rob chuckled, eyes bright, as well as his smile. There seemed to hardly ever be a dull expression on his face.

“It’s fine. My friend should be able to get me. You might know her from the Supernatural set. Her name is Quinn,” you told him as you walked towards the foyer together, your fingers typing a quick message to Quinn for her to pick you up. You two had quite a lot to talk about.

“Oh, yeah! I’ve met her a few times. She’s really nice,” Rob exclaimed, remembering Quinn right off the bat. It was hard to forget your energetic friend.

_ Be there soon. _

You glanced at Quinn’s text before pocketing your phone and facing Rob as you stopped in the foyer. “I just wanted to thank you for the job. Like Quinn told me repeatedly, you’re a really cool guy, and I’m not going to let you down,” you spoke your mind, expressing your gratitude. It looked like you had scored big with this job, and you weren’t about to lose your spot.

A light blush appeared on Rob’s cheeks, the lively coloring just adding to his handsome appearance. “Thanks, Y/N. I think we’re going to be really good friends,” Rob told you, not a doubt in his mind that the two of you would get along.

Before you could reply, an obnoxious honk sounded from outside, signaling Quinn’s arrival and your departure.

“I’ll walk you out,” Rob offered, always being the gentleman he naturally was. He followed you to Quinn’s car, where she was leaning against the driver’s door, a smile plastered on her face. “Hey, Quinn,” Rob greeted, happy to see a familiar face.

“Robbie!” Quinn exclaimed, embracing him tightly, always having been a hugger. “How’d you like my girl?” She asked before pulling away, her eyes moving to yours briefly.

“I think she’s awesome. Thanks for giving us her name,” Rob replied, flashing a small smile at you as he reported back to Quinn.

“Of course, happy to help.”

“Well, until tomorrow,” you told Rob before moving to the passenger’s side of the car, giving him a small wave before ducking inside and shutting the door. What a day.

After saying goodbye to Rob, Quinn slipped into the driver’s seat, a wide smile on her face. “I told you that you’d like him,” she murmured as she waved before pulling away from his house, putting his smiling form in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, yeah,” you smirked, prepping for the bombardment of questions you knew that she would ask. Honestly, you had no problem talking about your new boss for a little while, starting with those ocean eyes.


	2. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who read the first part :)  
> Lyrics are from Ready Steady by Louden Swain.

_“I say we hit them tonight.”_

_Fingers tapped agitatedly against a countertop, the rhythm sharp and quick. There was always a disagreement amongst the two of them. “Too risky.” The man said simply, giving his head a shake and abandoning his angry melody as he moved away from the kitchen table to storm to the front door._

_Loud footsteps trailed him until a strong hand gripped his elbow, preventing his escape. “Don't you walk out on me.”_

_The noise roused you, your eyes flying open as more furious words pounded against your bedroom walls. A frown adorned your young face immediately at the realization of what was going on. Being a teenager didn't mean you weren't aware of things and mature enough to understand them._

_“Fine! This is the last time, you hear me? I'm done with your shit, Chase. Done. This has always been your problem, not mine.”_

_“Damn it, Chase. What are you up to now?” You sighed beneath your breath before you quietly moved to your bedroom door, your adrenaline beginning to spike. Whatever was about to happen wouldn’t be good._

_“Whatever. Just get the bag and let's go,” Chase muttered, snatching his maroon jacket off of the bench near the front door. He shoved his arms through the long sleeves before following the other man out the front door, unaware of your lingering eyes._

_You knew you should just go back to bed and let him go. But Chase was your older brother; he was blood, and that meant everything to your family, whether it was pumping through your veins or spilling from them. You felt the natural pull to go to him, and, without protest, you did, slipping out the front door undetected and following the two shadows roaming down the street._

_~*~_

“Y/N, helloooo?”

You snapped out of your daze, the memory cutting off and crawling back to the recesses of your mind. “Hm?” You asked, bringing your focus back on Quinn, who stared at you from across the kitchen counter.

“I said you should probably start heading to Rob’s place.”

You gazed around Quinn’s house, locating the simple black clock hanging to your right above the kitchen sink. “Right. Thanks for breakfast,” you told her, gathering your dishes to bring to the sink. Quinn had insisted she cook a celebratory breakfast for you since your first day had gone fairly well.

“Go get ‘em, babe,” Quinn chirped to you as you hustled towards the door.

“I'll text you!” You called before shutting the front door behind you. You nearly jogged to your car, unable to control the energy coursing through you. You were pretty excited to start. You had all of the office supplies you needed in your car, and you had enough motivation to get you through the day.

Without getting lost, you reached Rob’s house in good time, your hands fumbling to check the time on your phone once you parked. Once you confirmed you had a few extra minutes on your side, you directed your eyes to the vanity mirror in front of you, checking for any loose strands or smudged makeup. Everything checked out. “Here we go,” you encouraged yourself as you hauled yourself out of the front seat, immediately going to the back to grab a cardboard box full of office supplies. You headed for his door and propped the box up on your knee as you rang the doorbell, struggling slightly to balance the weight.

“Coming!” Rob’s voice sounded from within his house, his figure soon darting around the corner to enter the foyer. He yanked open the door with that cheeky smile of his, a delighted look appearing instantly on his face at the sight of you. “Hey!” He greeted, the excited shout startling you slightly. He took the box from you and invited you in, kicking the door shut with his foot. “This is a lot of stuff,” he commented, blue eyes peering curiously into the box.

You shrugged in response, moving to stand beside him and look inside. “Nah, just some goodies to help get you straightened out,” you replied, eyes glancing over the various manila folders and dividers.

“Wow, thanks. I'll factor this into your paycheck,” Rob told you as he led you to his office, taking the stairs carefully as he carried the box.

You followed him, trying to focus on something other than how nice his ass looked in his jeans. _Good God get a grip._ It was just something you couldn't help but notice as he worked his way up the stairs, his jeans stretching nicely over his hips and legs.

“Y/N?”

You snapped out of your daze at his voice, your face flushing briefly. “Hm?” You asked, breathing a sigh of relief as you finally got off the stairs, freeing yourself from the temptation to check him out again.  

“I asked if you had any trouble finding this place,” Rob repeated, turning to you once he put the box down on his crowded desk.

“Nope. Got here just fine,” you told him, putting on a small smile to cover up your guilt. Before you could stand there in silence, you started rummaging through the box, beginning to pull out what you needed to get his desk in order. Hell, you didn't even know which corner to start at. As you began skimming through things to organize, you noticed his attention hovering on you, an awkward silence filling the room. You abandoned your task and turned to him, leaning against the edge of his desk. “If you're busy, I've got all of this covered. It'll take me some time, but it'll get done,” you told him, noticing his awkward posture.

Rob shifted his hands in his pockets, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. He was still getting used to the whole assistant thing. “Right. I shouldn't hover,” he murmured more to himself than you, giving his head an amused shake. He glanced around one more time before leaving the room, unaware of what exactly to do. He decided to call Rich, getting the urge to have a chat with his best friend.

You couldn't help but giggle a little at his nervous antics. It was pretty damn cute. With a partial smile glued to your face, you began organizing his office, placing related papers in folders and then piling them up in drawers. Four paper cuts and a few hours later, you were nearly done, left with compiling all of his events into one organized calendar. You could actually see the top of his desk now.

Rob poked his head inside the room, gazing around with stunned eyes. “Wow, I can see the walls!” He laughed as he walked around and explored the office like it was a brand new place. “Are you doing okay? Need anything?”

You pondered on his question, deciding it had been way too quiet in the room. “It's a bit quiet,” you told him with a passive shrug, letting him know it wasn't that big of a deal.

Rob visibly brightened, an idea popping up in his mind. “I got you covered,” he told you before exiting the room at a rather quick pace. Someone was excited. A few minutes later, he bounded into the room with his acoustic guitar, a smile plastered on his face.

“Oh, my own personal concert? I'm flattered,” you laughed a little, noting his excitement to perform. You sat on the edge of his desk, holding a large desk calendar in your lap, a black pen caressed in your hand.

Rob hopped up on top of a small filing cabinet to your left, positioning himself before shooting you a playful wink. “You'll be hearing me sing a lot, so I might as well get you used to my voice,” he pointed out, lightly strumming, his fingers drifting across the strings.

“Quinn said you're really good live,” you commented, remembering your friend gush about one of the conventions she had gone to.

“Well, I'm looking forward to hearing what you think,” Rob replied, meeting your eyes briefly before focusing on playing the opening riff.

_If I gave you a kiss_

_Would you give me your funny face_

_Is there something I missed_

_Leaving your mouth agape?_

_Should I try to enlist?_

_Is there room on your cavalcade?_

_Would your boyfriend be pissed_

_If he knew I was pulling rank_

You completely lost track of whatever you were attempting to do when he started singing. Your hand slowly dropped down to your lap, your eyes watching how his body visibly relaxed. This was obviously a good outlet for him.

_Are you ready steady on?_

_It's hard to tell_

_Hard to tell_

_Who's leading who on?_

_It's hard to tell_

_I'll never tell_

By the time he finished the chorus, the calendar and pen had been discarded on the desk, your attention completely captured. Quinn was right. He was amazing live.

Rob lifted his eyes, noticing you staring at him with awe. He broke out into a small laugh, his strumming coming to an abrupt stop. “You look amazed,” he commented, propping his guitar up against the side of the filing cabinet.

“I am amazed. What the hell? You're crazy good,” you gushed before you could get a hold on yourself, face still riddled with shock.

Rob brushed a hand through his hair shyly, strangely bashful even though he had heard the compliment many times. “Thanks, Y/N. I think I distracted you from your work, though,” he chuckled, noticing the abandoned calendar.

“Oh, yeah! Your voice just … wow,” you murmured, tugging the calendar back into your lap to continue marking down dates from the list you had written down on a piece of notebook paper. “Looks like your next big thing is a Supernatural convention in DC,” you told him, looking towards the end of July.

“I want you to come with me,” Rob told you as he moved to sit beside you, leaning over to peer at what you were marking down.

“Alright, what work would you have me do?” You asked, putting stars in the same boxes you had labeled _DC CONVENTION_.

“I just want you to come hang out. You can meet my friends and see what I do up close,” Rob replied, resting his hands comfortably on his thighs. “I think it'd be a good experience for you.”

He was right. If you wanted to really handle this job well, you had to understand what went on. “Sure, sounds good,” you told him with a nod, jotting down a few more events in July and August. Once the end of July hit, he was swamped with events. “Okay, busy bee, your events are organized,” you smirked, handing him the large calendar marked up with reminders in black ink.

“Oh, man. This is going to require a lot of caffeine,” Rob muttered as he leafed through the pages.

“Leave the coffee trips to me.”

Rob chuckled, turning his head to smile at you. “You're the best.”

You dropped your eyes with a small smile, ducking away from the spotlight. “I left your fan art up. Think you're going to get more at the convention?” You changed the subject, putting your focus on the drawings on the wall instead of how close he was to you. Honestly, he was a bit mesmerizing, and that spelled trouble.

“I hope so. When are you going to throw your work up there?”

You smirked, giving your head a shake. “Are you giving me a homework assignment?”

“Call it extra credit,” Rob replied, a nearly coquettish look on his face.

“I'll do anything to get an A, sir,” you told him in a mockingly high-pitched tone, eyelashes batting.

Rob broke out into a case of tearful laughter, eyes squeezed shut in amusement. “Well, I guess you better get to work,” he chuckled, starting to come down from his fit of hysterics.

You checked the time on your phone and decided it was time to head on home. You stood up and gathered your things, giving the room one more glance to make sure it was orderly. You had to give yourself a pat on the back for the improvement you had made to the cluttered room.

Rob felt a buzzing in his back pocket, his hand immediately shooting for his phone to read the text Rich had sent him. He smirked and rolled his eyes at his best friend’s suggestion. “Hey, are you busy tomorrow?”

“Nope. Need me to work on something?”

“Oh, no, I was just wondering if you wanted to grab lunch tomorrow. My best friend, Rich, wants to meet you. You'll be around him a lot because he's involved with the whole Supernatural circuit and he does Kings of Con with me,” Rob told you, his smile hopeful.

“He wants to make sure I'm going to do a good job,” you clarified the reasoning with a laugh. If Quinn hadn't already known Rob, she probably would've wanted to meet him too to try to judge his character.

“What are best friends for,” Rob chuckled, hopelessly shrugging at Rich’s persistence to meet you.

“Yeah, I'm free. Text me-I mean can you text me the address?” You backtracked, trying not to come off so forward. Over the years in California, you had found it difficult to smother the bold personality that you had obtained in your late teenage years. Some things were more difficult to hide than others.

“Of course,” Rob replied, waving his hand to dismiss your timidness. He led you out of the room, not noticing your eyes do a final sweep over the fan art on the wall. “I'll try to keep Rich from doing 20 Questions with you,” he warned you as he headed down the stairs.

Great. Just what you needed was an interrogation. The lie detector would be going insane. “I’m sure he means well. He's just looking out for you,” you responded, stopping in the foyer.

“Guess it's nice to have someone to watch your back,” Rob added with an agreeing nod, a fond smile crossing his face at his friend’s devotion. Rich really was one of a kind, and Rob wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the world.

Someone to watch your back.

~*~

_“Y/N, what are you doing here?” Chase scowled in your face, his hand snatching up your upper arm to yank you behind a row of bushes. He quickly glanced behind him at the house, ensuring it remained completely dark._

_“No, what are you doing here?” You spat back, keeping your voice low to not wake anyone in the small neighborhood._

_“None of your fucking business!” Chase snapped, his fingertips pressing deep enough into your skin to leave bruises for tomorrow._

_The other man crept back towards the two of you, his steps unheard. “We can get in through the back window. What's she doing here?”_

_“Forget about her. Let's just go,” Chase muttered, standing slowly from the bushes before heading towards the back of the house with the other man._

_You trailed him, reaching out to grab his wrist, attempting to stop him. “Chase, stop! Just come home. I don't want you to get hurt,” you pleaded with your older brother with everything you had._

_Chase sighed, hard eyes glinting mischievously. “If you don't want me to get hurt, why don't you tag along? You can have my back,” Chase offered._

_You turned around to gaze at the street. You could just run home now and not get involved, but your brother would have no one to help him if things went wrong. The other man definitely wouldn’t care if Chase got pinned. You sighed in defeat and gave your brother a nod. “You're my brother. Of course I'll have your back.”_

_~*~_

“Y/N, you okay?” Rob’s concerned voice broke through your lapse into the distant memory.

You blinked a few times, detaching yourself from your past. “Yeah, sorry. Just remembered something. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?” You tried to laugh off the moment, your smile plastic and stiff.

“Yeah, see you then,” Rob replied, his eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. He watched you hurry to your car, your fingertips rubbing at your temple. He might not know you very well, but he could tell something was up. Before he could try to confront you, you drove off, leaving him wondering just what you had remembered. For your sake, you hoped he never found out.

~*~

When you were done chewing yourself out for zoning out once again, you retired to your couch, bored out of your mind. You weren't hungry. You didn't want to watch television. Quinn was busy. What to do? Your mind thought back to the drawings in Rob’s office, giving you a spark of inspiration. “I wonder,” you muttered as you stood up and went to your closet, digging to the very back where a plastic box lay, collecting dust on its top. With some effort, you dragged it out of its corner into open space, your hands timid as you worked off the top.

You were one to bottle up your past, and you loved to shove it in sketch pads. You sat back on your knees and gazed at the piles of sketch pads, the covers worn and the edges of papers torn and wrinkled. You took a breath and grabbed the closest one on top, skipping to the end to find a blank piece of paper to rip out, ignoring the drawings lurking on the nearby pages. You couldn't look back now. You had come too far.

Once you found a sheet, you shoved the box back into your closet with your foot before going to your desk near the window. You had a decent view of the city, its nightlife starting to emerge from the shadows. However, the only view you cared about was what would appear on your paper. Your fingers plucked a pencil from your pencil holder to start your sketch. With that bright smile at the front your mind, you began to draw, falling into your old habit but not straying too close to your past. You could see a hint of a future for yourself, and you wouldn't dare let that chance slip through your fingertips. Not again.


	3. Strategist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those who read the first two parts :)

_“Watch closely, Y/N.”_

_You sighed and shifted closer to the window Chase was fooling with. You should've told him to shove it earlier, but you felt compelled to be responsible for him. You watched his careful movements, flinching a bit as he drew a switchblade, the bordering streetlights gleaming off the surface. You were aware of his stash of weapons, but you had never seen him really put one to use. At least he wasn't using it for violence. Yet._

_Chase worked on popping off the window screen, wedging the tip of his knife beneath the border to encourage the screen to give._

_“Easy,” the man hissed as the screen rattled against the window frame._

_Chase pressed his fingers against the edge of the screen, prying it from its slot to carefully pull it out of the way. He quietly propped it up against the side of the house as the other man climbed inside with practiced ease. Chase turned to you, extending a hand out. “Step quietly and stay behind me,” he told you as he guided you through until both of your feet rested on the floor inside._

_You couldn’t see a thing. You breathed in deeply, inching forward with extra caution, your heartbeat sounding heavily in your head. You had no idea what was going on or what was expected of you. Whose house was this? “Chase?” You whispered out into the darkness, hands outstretched, searching blindly for him._

_“Shh,” a voice sounded near your ear a moment before a faint ray of light flickered on. Chase lifted his cell phone up at eye level, his phone screen illuminating the space enough for you to see his face. “Be quiet,” he whispered before leading you down the hallway towards a closed door._

_The man turned to watch the two of you approach, his mouth kept at a straight line. He held the large black bag at his side, careful not to bump it against his leg or the wall. “They share a room, so you take one and I’ll take the other,” he murmured to Chase._

_Chase nodded and reached for the doorknob, slowly etching the door open to reveal a small bedroom, two beds on each side of the room. “David, wait,” Chase hissed to the man, halting him in his steps. He turned to you, motioning you closer by rapidly waving his hand. “Look around the room for a wallet,” he told you, an almost challenging look on his face._

_“Why me?” You questioned, feeling uneasy about the whole situation._

_“You’re the quietest. Now, go,” Chase replied, giving you a light shove to force you to enter the room first. He followed with his phone light, sweeping across the right side of the room before stopping suddenly. “Logan isn’t here,” he reported the younger brother’s absence._

_David inspected the empty bed closer, his eyes narrowing in disappointment. “Must be at that kid’s house he’s always hanging out with. The older brother is here, though,” David replied, pointing to the occupied bed on the left side, where a man was in deep sleep._

_“Check the nightstand, Y/N,” Chase ordered, shining his phone light on the small wooden nightstand near the bed._

_You crept forward, setting your heels down gently as you approached. You saw keys and a phone but no wallet. You turned to Chase and shook your head._

_“Go to the front door and check his jacket. Should be a blue one,” Chase whispered, pressing his phone into your hand as David pulled out his own to use._

_You padded out of the room to re-enter the hallway, which took you past another bedroom with a closed door. You couldn’t believe you were doing this! You sighed softly and glanced through various openings until you spotted the foyer. Just like Chase said, there was a blue jacket draped over a table. You quietly dashed over, your free hand patting down the pockets until you felt something solid. Jackpot. You slid the leather wallet from the guy’s jacket pocket and made a step towards the way you came, immediately stopping when you heard a loud thud followed by a pained shout._

_“Damion?” A woman’s worried call came next, the other bedroom door flying open._

_You heard another series of thuds, aggravated commotion following as the rest of the family woke up. You panicked on the spot, trying to decide whether to dart out of the house, or go see if Chase needed help._

_“That’s for Max, you son of a bitch!” Chase’s yell sounded from deep within the house._

_You flinched at the sound of your father’s name, having not heard it in some time. He died when you were young, and things took a turn for the worst after that. Before you could relapse in the past, you saw Chase and David sprinting through the doorway to the foyer, a short wooden bat clutched in Chase’s hand, the end stained with blood specks._

_“Get moving!” Chase shouted, roughly grabbing your wrist so that he could whisk you out of the house, heavy footsteps trailing them. He tossed the bat to David, who quickly stashed it in the black bag. “Over the fence!” Chase called out, pointing to a chain link fence that came up to your shoulders. He easily vaulted over the top, not even stopping to help you over._

_You were forced to climb and haul yourself over, your shirt catching onto a loose piece of steel and ripping the bottom of the material. You cursed beneath your breath before taking off after Chase, your muscles burning as your adrenaline continued to spike. You felt like you had ran forever that night, the guy’s wallet clutched tightly in your hand, not a soul in sight as the three of you left behind the damage you had caused._

~*~

You woke up with a sheen of sweat on your body, lips parting to gasp for air as you came around from your fitful slumber. You swallowed deeply, eyes dashing about to take in your surroundings. You were in Los Angeles, California. You were in your apartment. You weren’t _there_. You sighed and let yourself collapse back against the pillows, your eyes shutting briefly to try to grasp at the last remaining chances to sleep. No luck. With a groan, you decided to go ahead and get the ball rolling, heading for the shower so that you could get ready for lunch with Rob and Richard. Truthfully, you were a bit anxious. If Richard asked too many questions, you were in trouble. Though, when were you ever not in trouble?

At five to twelve, you entered the small restaurant and bar Rob had texted you about. You glanced around for a familiar face, your eyes falling upon that unforgettable mess of hair that belonged to Rob Benedict. He was sitting in a booth towards the back, actively chatting and laughing with someone sitting across from him. After taking in a breath to prepare you for the social interaction to come, you headed that way, eyes cast down to make sure your sneakers didn’t catch onto a chair leg. God forbid you face-planted right then.

Rob moved his eyes past Richard to spot you making your way carefully towards him, a smile immediately appearing on his face. “She’s here,” he whispered to Richard as he rushed out of the booth.

Your eyes lifted to see Rob smiling at you, provoking a smile of your own. “Hey,” you greeted once you reached him, finding some comfort in the familiarity of his smile.

“Hey, Y/N. This is my best friend, Richard,” Rob introduced his friend, who was making his way out of the booth.

You turned to Richard, keeping your smile on your face as you extended a hand out. “I’m Y/N,” you introduced yourself even though you were fairly sure he knew who you were.

“Richard. Nice to meet you. Rob’s told me a lot about you,” Richard replied, shooting Rob a grin as he firmly shook your hand.

“Oh, great,” you chuckled awkwardly, drawing your hand back to your side after a few shakes.

“Here, sit,” Rob ushered you into his side of the booth first, a hand resting on the back of your arm briefly before he sat next to you.

You felt his thigh brush against yours as he settled near you in the small booth, a burning blush immediately trying to fight its way onto your face. Good thing the restaurant had dim lighting.

“Hungry?” Rob asked you, resting his forearms on the table casually, the sleeves of his white T-shirt straining over his built upper arms.

“Always,” you replied with a hint of a smile, your eyes skimming over the menu in front of you. “Have you messed up your office yet?”

Rob faked an offended look. “Of course not. I happen to be very organized.”

“Then you wouldn't need me,” you pointed out, turning your head to smirk at him.

“Oh, no, no, no. I need you,” Rob replied, playfully grasping your hand with both of his, his warm palms caressing your knuckles. “Please come back to me,” he gushed, giving you a pleading look.

“On one condition,” you played along, turning in your seat to place your free hand over his, eyes centered on his.

“Anything.”

“Get me a drink,” you chuckled, breaking from the serious role.

Rob laughed softly, giving your hands a friendly squeeze before turning to flag down the waitress.

“Wow, you guys should be nominated for an Emmy or something,” Richard laughed at the playful exchange between you and Rob.

You pointed your thumb towards Rob as he ordered the three of you drinks. “That's all him. He's the actor, not me,” you responded, laying your wrists on the edge of the table. You might as well be an actor, though. You were pretty talented at acting like someone else.

“Hey, we’re a team,” Rob commented, flashing you a smile before glancing over the menu.

“So, how're you liking the job, Y/N? Rob being a good boss?” Richard asked, crooking an eyebrow in curiosity.

“It's great. He's doing a good job, so far. Getting the hang of it,” you lightly teased at Rob.

“Robbie here has the kindest of hearts. I'm sure you've noticed,” Richard chuckled, a warm expression on his face.

“Yeah, I have,” you replied with a smile, nodding a little. He had definitely proved to be one of the nicest people you had ever come across. After the three of you ordered your food, the questions started to fire back up.

“So, you're from Arizona?” Richard brought up.

“Yep. Born and raised,” you spoke the lie once again, your body relaxed as you had countlessly practiced.

“Leave any family behind?”

_Truth or Lie_? Your fingers flexed out of habit before curling into a fist. You decided to settle in the middle. It would be much easier to explain than a full lie and definitely a full truth. “Just my mom.”

“Your dad?” Rob asked in a gentle voice.

“Died when I was young,” you replied, eyes growing distant as you tried to search for a memory of him. You couldn't even remember what he looked like.

“What happened?” Rob murmured, a frown appearing on his face.

_Truth or Lie_? You may not have known your father, but you were aware of how he died. Chase talked about it all the time, mostly when he was angry. However, it spoke too much about your past. _Lie_. “Car crash.”

“I'm sorry. It's terrible losing a parent when you're a kid. My dad left when I was young,” Rob told you, his eyes dropping down to the table.

“I'm sorry, but it looks like you grew up alright. Your mom must be a rockstar,” you replied with a comforting smile.

“Yeah, she's great,” Rob chuckled, the brightness in his expression starting to return. His eyes lifted to meet yours, a look being shared. _Everything is going to be alright._

It felt like your breath had been knocked from you. You couldn't remember the last time someone gave you that look. In a moment, it was gone, the waitress pulling his attention away. You grounded yourself, focusing on eating and making comments as the light conversation returned.

“So, you play an archangel?” You asked Richard, one of your hands picking at the remaining fries on your plate.

“Played,” Rob corrected with a laugh.

“You're dead too!” Richard fired back at Rob.

Rob gave him a look of disbelief. “You don't really believe that, do you?”

“No, but Gabriel has just as much of a chance of being alive” Richard muttered, crossing his arms as he accepted defeat.

You cracked a smile at their banter, which reminded you of you and Quinn interacting. “You guys excited about the convention coming up?”

“Of course. Robbie and I are gonna give them the time of their lives,” Richard responded, obviously excited to get back into the convention cycle.

“Well, I'll be looking forward to watching you guys,” you told them, looking up as the waitress brought the bill. You and Rob reached for it at the same time, fingers brushing. “I've got it.”

“Nah, I've got it,” Rob assured you, swiping up the bill before you could protest.

“You've gotta let me pay for something,” you pointed out.

After a moment of silence, Richard broke out into a smile. “This is where you say you can buy me dinner,” Richard hissed to Rob, giving him a suggestive look.

Rob shot him a glare before breaking out into a shy smile. “Maybe coffee sometime,” he told you as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He slapped a few bills on the table before standing, stepping to the side to let you out.

“I'll hold you to that,” you murmured, face burning from Richard’s comment. You followed the two out of the restaurant, watching them murmur to each other quietly.

“Y/N, are you busy?” Richard asked as he reached the sidewalk, slipping his sunglasses on to fight the sun blazing up above.

You were asked that a lot, and Quinn and your job were really the only two things in your life, so you always answered the same way. “Nope. Why?”

“Want to go do something fun with Rob and I?” Richard asked, leading you and Rob towards his car.

“Sure, what did you have in mind?”

“Laser tag,” Richard replied, an excited smile crossing his bearded face.

“Let's do it.”

Rob gave Richard a joyful look before opening the back door of Richard’s car for you, beckoning you to get in with his eyes. Instead of moving to the front seat like you had expected, he climbed into the back with you, swinging the door shut behind him.

You fought back a surprised look and settled against the leather seat, clicking the seat belt into place.

Richard hopped into the front seat and glanced in the rear view mirror. “No getting freaky in my car.”

“Rich!” Rob sharply scolded his friend, shooting daggers at him with his eyes. He turned to you with his phone out, swiping through until he came upon what he was looking for. “I just need to go over some details with her for the convention,” Rob pointedly told Richard.

“Okay, buddy,” Richard chuckled, putting the car into drive and heading off down the street.

During the car ride, Rob showed you the hotel you would be staying in, which was way out of your budget, but he assured you it was covered.

“You'll be across the hall from me, so if you need anything you can just walk over,” Rob told you, showing you a picture of the rooms.

“Alright, cool. These rooms are really nice,” you commented, leaning over towards him to get a better look.

“We’re here, kids!” Richard chirped from the front seat, wrist twisting to shut his car off before he hopped out.

You smirked at Rob before unbuckling and climbing out of the car, shielding your eyes from the sun with your hand. It had taken you some time to get used to the weather here.

“Y/N, you coming?” Rob asked from the other side of the car, Richard at his side.

“Yep,” you replied before joining them and walking inside the laser tag center. Right when you walked in, you were nearly ran over by a stampede of teenagers. You jumped back into Rob, cursing them beneath your breath, your eyes narrowing.

“You okay?” Rob chuckled, his hands gripping your arms to steady you.

“Yeah. Kids,” you muttered before following Richard to the desk to pay for a game. You had never played laser tag before, but you had a feeling you would get the hang of it.

“We’re going to catch the game coming up,” Richard told you and Rob as he departed from the desk, leading the two of you to a prep room where the rest of the people were. “There are two teams. Want to all be on the same team?” Richard asked the two of you as he stopped in the back of the room.

“Sure,” you and Rob replied at the same time, flashing each other an amused smile immediately after. You glanced around the dim room as one of the employees went over the rules, listing them off by memory. There were about twenty people in the room, mostly teenagers and people in their twenties. Most were in groups with their friends, full of excitement and impatience.

“Alright, head into the next room to grab your vests and guns.”

“So, shooting their base earns us a lot of points?” Rob questioned as you headed for the next room.

“Yeah, if you want to win, find the base and light it up,” you replied, your mind already working up a strategy. You were a strategist, or you were made into one. If you had a plan, you could succeed. Once you walked inside the next room, your eyes fell upon a row of red vests and blue vests. “Rich, do the honors.”

Richard headed for the blue vests and began getting ready, adjusting the straps and buckles. “Ready to kick some ass?”

You laughed at his excitement, throwing your vest on over your shoulders. “Always,” you murmured, snapping everything in place and getting a feel for the gun before following the other blue vests into another room.

“Alright, team, this is what we’re going to do. Everyone listening carefully? Because I don't want to repeat myself,” one of the twenty-year-olds announced, already proving to be obnoxious. He had a group of friends surrounding him, chattering and laughing loudly.

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, crossing your arms in front of your chest. This should be good.

“We rush, got it? Everyone split up to cover more ground,” the man told everyone, his confidence shooting through the roof.

“That's a stupid strategy,” you muttered, already knowing that would make your team lose. You didn't like to fail. Failing cost you major consequences back in the day, and you never lost that mentality.

“Barely sounds like a strategy at all,” Rob murmured back, a dissatisfied look crossing his face.

For some reason, Rob’s dissatisfaction stirred your emotions up. You didn't want him to be unhappy because one person had no idea how to strategize. You wanted to win for _him_. “I don't think that's a very good plan,” you commented loudly from the back.

Richard and Rob shot you surprised looks as you walked away from them to make your way to the front.

“What do you mean? It's a great plan,” the man responded with a sneer.

_Control_. You forced a smile on your face as you faced him. “Look, if you're serious about winning this game, you can't just rush in and shoot. You have to be patient, be careful. If you aren't careful, they're gonna light you up and get all kinds of points. The bases are worth a lot of points. We should focus a lot of fire there,” you tried to reason with him.

“Well, what would you do? What's your ingenious plan?”

You bit your tongue, forcing back a sharp comment. “There's twelve people. We break into groups of three so that we can cover each other but not draw too much attention. One group hovers near our base to protect it, and the other three go out to find their base. Stick to the walls, crouch as much as you can,” you reeled off your strategy.

“I kinda like her plan better,” one of the man’s friends whispered to him.

“Fine, we’ll try your plan. But if we lose, we know who to blame,” the man muttered before turning back to his friends.

“Everyone have their groups?” You called out, watching the crowd split into small groups. You waited until Rob and Richard joined your side and you received a cluster of OK’s before heading to the door.

“Damn, Y/N, you showed that guy up,” Richard chuckled, giving you a nudge.

You smirked, shaking your head at the man’s nerve. “If you're going to lead, have a good plan,” you muttered, waiting for the door to the arena to open.

Rob was still staring at you with something close to awe written all over his face. He gave Richard a look, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Richard laughed a little at the silent remark, patting his best friend on the shoulder.

Once the doors opened, you walked into the arena, watching bulks of fog roll across the floor. You could hardly see, but anything white glowed, making Rob quite visible.

“Uh oh,” he muttered, trying to make his vest hide most of his white shirt.

“Here, just stay behind me,” you told him as you headed down the first hallway until it split into three more paths. You turned to look at the other two attack groups. “We’ll each take one,” you called out over the music blasting overhead. Once you received understanding nods, you took the center one, leading Rob and Rich along the right wall, knees bent in a crouch.

“Red vest!” Richard called out just as red lights rounded the corner into your path.

You lifted the gun and fired, catching the younger male on his chest, his vest and gun going dark. “Nice looking out, Rich,” you commented as you took them to the corner. You felt your heart thud heavily, bringing you back to those times that had your heart nearly jumping out of your chest. You shook the thoughts away and crept around the corner, seeing a crowd of red vests. “Uh oh,” you breathed out before firing, trying to sweep the area as you side-stepped, allowing Rob and Rich room to fire. You and Rob’s vests went dark, leaving only Richard to keep firing at the last few red lights. You knew you had to get you and Rob out of the way so that the other team couldn't track you down. You grabbed his hand and tugged him to the other side, bringing him into a dark corner, fog drifting over you.

“This is so exhilarating!” Rob laughed, squeezing your hand as tightly as you were squeezing his.

“Rich is killing it,” you laughed as the two of you watched Richard duck around the corner a few times to fire at the other team. You were so focused on chatting with Rob about Richard you didn't notice that your vests had lit back up.

Richard made his way over to you quickly, beaming with pride. “Took ‘em out! Are you guys just going to sit there and hold hands, or are you going to help me get to the base?”

You snapped back into reality, releasing Rob’s hand with an awkward laugh. “Let's get moving,” you replied, rising to your feet along with Rob. You led them into the hallway, feeling Rob close to your side. You felt like a high school kid with their crush. _Get a grip_. Thankfully, someone from the other team rounded the corner, but before you could lift your gun, Rob had their vest go dark. You turned to him and smiled. “Nice,” you commented before moving into another hallway where a group of blue vests crouched. You met up with them and immediately recognized the man from earlier. “How's it going?”

“Fine. Fine. It was a good plan, okay?” The man gave in, his friends snickering behind him.

“Forget about it. The base should be close, so stay alert,” you told him, dismissing the conflict from earlier. You took Rob and Rich to the next hallway, the fog extra heavy. “I can barely see,” you muttered, squinting to try to peer through to spot any lights.

“Watch it!” You heard Rob call out as red vests filed into the path from the other end. You crouched near the wall, pulling the trigger to deactivate a vest. You turned your head to see the other group of your team firing from your end, red vests flickering off one after the other.

Rob appeared at your side, hand extended out to you.

You took his hand and let him help you to your feet. “Thanks,” you told him, giving his hand a squeeze before releasing. Rob’s hands were starting to become an interest of yours. You would stand there and hold his hand all day if you could.

“I see the base up ahead!”

You focused back on the game at Richard’s shout. You moved with your team around the corner to face a large structure hanging up ahead. **BASE** was printed across the surface, the sides lit up with red lights. You lifted your gun and shot at it, hearing the zipping and zapping from the others’ guns as they shot. After a few moments of rapid firepower, the base shut down, lights flickering off.

“Ha! We did it!” Richard laughed, watching all of the lights start flickering rapidly to signal the end of the game.

“Just in time too.”

You let yourself relax, feeling your adrenaline start to fade. You felt that great sense of accomplishment, but this time you knew you wouldn't feel guilty about it later. You headed to the exit, loosening the straps and undoing the buckles so you could free yourself from the vest.

“Hey, good game.”

You turned to see the man from earlier with a sheepish smile on his face.

“Thanks, you too,” you told him, a small smile appearing on your face. You nodded to each other before you joined Rob and Rich out in the lobby.

“What a game!” Richard exclaimed, bouncing on the spot from the left over adrenaline.

“Yeah, we make a great team,” Rob chuckled, his eyes moving to yours.

“Yeah, we do,” you murmured, pushing a strand of hair back from your face, feeling a strong sense of happiness in that moment.

Richard looked at the two of you, hiding the smile that was fighting to appear. “I'll drive you back to your car,” Richard offered.

You tore your eyes away from Rob to nod. “That'd be great, thanks,” you replied, flashing him a grateful smile before walking back to his car. You walked at Rob’s side, matching his casual stride. “Don't forget you have a rehearsal with Louden Swain coming up.”

Rob cracked a smile at your reminder. “Completely forgot about that,” he murmured, running a hand through his hair with a faint sigh. So much was coming up.

You could tell he was starting to stress out. “It'll be fine. I'll help you where I can. We’ll get through it,” you assured him, pulling open the car door for him.

“I know we will,” he told you, meeting your eyes for a moment before climbing into the back seat, bending over to avoid hitting his head.

Your eyes dropped down automatically, your mind aching to check him out. You just couldn't help it. It was the stairs situation all over again, except you were caught this time. By Richard. You heard stifled laughing, drawing your eyes away from the sight of Rob Benedict bending over in front of you. You looked at Richard and immediately blushed at being caught. You gave him a pleading look, hoping he wouldn't tell Rob.

Richard waved his hand dismissively, shooting you a calming smile before getting in the driver’s seat without saying a word about it. “We should do this again sometime.”

“Yeah, it was really fun,” Rob replied, completely oblivious to the exchange between you and Richard.

You murmured an agreement, wanting to throw yourself off a cliff at that moment. _Get it together_. You usually weren't so interested in checking out people or getting friendly. Your past relationships really ruined any positive mentality you had regarding dating.

“So, Y/N, got a boyfriend?” Richard asked, a sly smile on his face.

_Nope, single, not ready to mingle_. “Nah, been too focused on work,” you replied, narrowing your eyes at him as he looked at you in the rear view mirror.

“Oh, I know you have,” Richard smirked, teasing you in plain sight, but he made sure Rob was clueless.

“What about you? Got someone special in your life?” You shot back, sending the attention elsewhere.

“Nope, not yet,” Richard replied, stifling another bout of laughter.

Before you were exposed, he parked near the restaurant, your car a little ways off. “Thanks, guys, I had fun,” you told them, a genuine smile on your face. Okay, you _did_ have a lot of fun.

“It was nice meeting you. Robbie, I approve,” Richard chuckled, turning in his seat to wave goodbye.

“Thanks for your approval, Rich. Here, I'll walk you to your car,” Rob offered, following you out. He accompanied you on the way down the sidewalk, hands tucked in his pockets. “Thanks for coming along today.”

“Thanks for the invite. It was fun,” you responded, walking at a slow pace, taking your time.

“I'll give you a call when I need you to come back in. With the convention coming up in a few weeks, I'll need some help getting some stuff together,” Rob told you, matching your pace.

“Alright, no problem. We’ll get you ready,” you replied, bumping into his side playfully before stopping at your car.

Rob smiled and reached over to open your car door, hand perched on the top as he gazed down at you. “I'll see you soon,” he murmured, eyes resting on yours.

“Yeah,” you managed to breathe out, looking up at him for a moment with a smile pulling at your lips. This was the part where you leaned up on your toes and kissed him, according to fiction. However, you were in reality, and he was your boss. You ducked your head and slipped inside your car, letting him shut the door after you. You gave him a brief wave before turning your car on and driving off before you decided to act like a fictional character and make a move. Your hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, willing yourself on home, the smile never leaving your face.

 

 


	4. Turbulence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)

_It's like teaching architecture to an Eskimo_  
_You can show him everything you know_  
 _He's still gonna build it out of snow_  
 _I'm gonna take my long division down to Mexico_  
 _Where I can divide all night_

  
You softly hummed the music playing on your phone beneath your breath as you jotted down a few notes on your personal convention schedule, blue scratches littered across the pages. Rob had insisted you sit in on a few of the panels to get a feel for the fandom and the show, so you made sure to include that in your schedule.

“Hey, slacker,” Rob’s voice drifted through the door as he entered the room, a pizza box balanced on his palm.

You turned to him and rolled your eyes playfully, capping your pen and tossing it into one of the pencil holders before switching off your music. It had been a few weeks since the laser tag game, and you and Rob had definitely become more comfortable around each other. He had you over to work a lot more as the convention crept closer, and you would finally be flying out to Washington, D.C. tonight. “Finish packing?”

Rob sat down on the edge of his desk, resting the hot box in his lap. “Yep. Have you?” Rob asked, glancing down at your notes. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he saw a few of his suggestions jotted down on the paper.

“Of course,” you replied, swiveling in his seat to look up at him. You had been tracking the hype on the convention, and just seeing how excited the fans and the actors were was making you excited.

“Well, I think you’ve worked enough and I can’t finish this pizza by myself. Want to eat with me?” Rob suggested, dropping his eyes in a shy motion briefly.

You checked for the time. Noon on the dot. You could go for some lunch. “Sure, I’m starved,” you murmured, the pizza’s intoxicating aroma starting to get to you.

“I know,” Rob chuckled, hopping off his desk to lead you downstairs, taking the steps carefully. “Netflix?”

You smirked a little as you followed him into the living room, finding your seat in the middle of the grey polyester couch in front of the glass coffee table. “Sure,” you responded, eyes trailing him as he darted into the kitchen and then back, balancing plates and napkins on top of the pizza box and clutching two beers in his other hand. You stood and took the drinks from him, fingers brushing against his knuckles. It seemed like you were always searching for an excuse to touch those hands of his. You sat back down and helped him set up, telling him to surprise you with his movie pick.

“Hope you’re a horror fan,” Rob chuckled as he settled back into the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

You watched him relax, plate cradled in his hand, a smile pulling at your lips as you worked your sneakers off and tucked your legs to the side. “This is definitely one of the more interesting work relationships I’ve experienced with my boss,” you commented, laughing a little at the situation. Netflix and pizza with your boss. That was something.

“I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable. You’re just a cool person to hang out with,” Rob replied, a hint of worry flashing through his eyes. You were quite different than anyone he had ever come across. You were mysterious, revealing just enough to make him intrigued and eager to know even more. Besides, having a friendly relationship would make the job easier for the both of you.

“No, no, you’re fine. It’s better than any work relationship I’ve ever had,” you clarified, shooting him a smile before focusing on the movie on the screen and the pizza on your plate. Really, you were starving. Once you and Rob had devoured every slice in the box, you relaxed to finish off the movie, sitting a foot away from each other. “Now, why would you go down there? You know it’s down there,” you muttered bitterly at the television, watching the girl wander into the basement.

“Oh, man, she’s so dead,” Rob fretted, body tensing as the music started to build, signaling the upcoming pop-up.

You tried to tear your eyes from the screen so that you wouldn’t freak out whenever the demonic presence decided to show its face, but your focus was too captured. Its face popped up on the screen, and you and Rob lost it, jumping back into the cushions, panicked hands grabbing at each other and grasping whatever they could find first. In your case, your hand gripped his built upper arm. “Ohhh, I told you!”

Rob burst out laughing, his hold on your wrist loosening but not fully releasing. “She should’ve listened,” he commented, watching you giggle as you recovered from the scare. Once the commotion died down, his hand on your wrist shifted until he had his fingertips pressed over your pulse. “Your heart is racing,” he murmured softly, meeting your eyes with intensity.

You just now noticed how close the two of you were, thighs touching, your hand still resting on his upper arm. His touch on your other wrist notched your heart rate up, but looking into those stormy blue eyes, now that made your heart race. Before you could reply, his phone went off, alerting him of a call.

Something flashed through Rob’s eyes at the interruption. Disappointment? You couldn’t tell because he turned away to answer a moment later. “Hey, Jensen. Yeah, I'm not showing up until Saturday. Y/N and I are sightseeing Friday. What? Shu-Shut it, man,” Rob scoffed, something near a blush burning his face. He muttered a goodbye and then hung up, placing his phone back on the table.

You wondered what made him get so flushed. “Our flight is at 6 tonight, right?” You double-checked, glancing at your phone to see what time it was.

“Yeah, it's 2:30 now. Want to start heading to the airport? We’ll swing by your place and get your stuff on the way,” Rob suggested as he pointed his remote at the television, switching it off with a gentle press of his finger.

“Yeah, I’ll clean up while you load your stuff in the car,” you told him, switching to work mode. You gathered all the plates, empty beer bottles, and the pizza box and headed for the kitchen, socked feet padding lightly against the flooring. You heard him walk upstairs to his bedroom, a soft hum coming from him. You smiled a little at the habit, working quickly to tidy up before meeting him at the front door.

“Here’s your schedule,” Rob told you, shifting one of his bags onto his other shoulder so that he could hand you the pages.

You murmured a thanks before following him to his car, a sudden jolt of excitement going through you. You really hadn’t done anything exciting in awhile. Hell, you couldn’t remember the last time you took a vacation. With a shared smile, Rob put the car in drive, and time began to fly.

Getting through the airport was expected chaos, full of lines and security checks. You stayed close to Rob the entire time, focusing on him and relying on his experience. “Thank God,” you sighed as you finally sat down in your seat, body slumping against the material exaggeratedly.

Rob chuckled and sat beside you, having already offered to take the aisle seat so that you could have the window. “You okay?” He asked, turning in the seat to face you.

You nodded automatically to the question, a brief smile crossing your lips before you looked away, focusing on the flight attendant as she reeled through all the information and safety regulations. It was all just like before, except last time you were on a plane you were terrified. Not because of the concept of flying but the fear of not taking off fast enough. The last time you had taken a flight it was to Los Angeles three years ago. You had to leave, eyes full of tears and a wallet full of money that wasn’t yours, you had taken to the airport without a goodbye.

“I got you this travel guide. If there’s anywhere you really want to visit just mark the page,” Rob told you as he leaned over to sift through his laptop bag. He pulled out a small booklet and handed it to you, a small smile adorning his face.

“Thanks,” you replied, laughing a bit in surprise. Though, you shouldn’t be surprised. He was always that kind. You felt the plane shift, wheels turning to move onto the runway. You breathed in shakily, heels digging into the floor as the speed started to pick up. Last time, you had been so focused on getting away that you really didn’t have a chance to experience the sensation of taking off. You felt yourself get pushed back into the seat, your hand immediately going for the armrest for something to anchor yourself to.

“You can open your eyes now, Y/N,” Rob’s voice came from your left, some amusement in his tone.

Why did your armrest have a pulse? You popped one eye open, dragging it downwards to see that you had taken hold of Rob’s wrist instead of your armrest. “Jesus, sorry,” you immediately apologized, pulling your hand away at the speed of light. An embarrassed flush crossed your face, your eyes going to the travel guide in your hands. What a great way to start the trip.

“It’s fine. Trust me, I wasn’t too fond of flying at the start either,” Rob assured you, his smile comforting.

You nodded, fighting off your embarrassment. You reached for your earphones and phone, feeling a wave of tiredness wash over you, prompting your head to sink back against the headrest as you popped in your earbuds. With a soft sigh, you selected a song and closed your eyes, letting yourself break from your current reality. You should’ve known better than to let your mind wander.

~*~

_“Ches, stop!” You cried out, your composure snapping as your boyfriend of a year pressed his fingers beneath your ribs, tickling you without any mercy. You laughed out loud, doubling over, hands trying to pry his off of you._

_Chester pressed a playful kiss to your cheek before stopping his attack, his arm moving to curl around your waist as the two of you huddled on a park bench. “How’s it feel to be seventeen?” He asked you, a smile on his face._

_“One year closer until I can get the hell out of here,” you muttered, leaning into his embrace, eyes watching the fluffy white clouds roll slowly across the afternoon sky. It had been a week or so since you had helped Chase break into the house. It turned out that it belonged to the Cade family. Their youngest son was in your grade._

_“I’ll be right with you,” Chester replied, glancing around at the area with distaste._

_“I know. Thank you,” you told him sincerely, the ache to leave that place behind having only grown stronger after the whole break-in ordeal._

_“I love you.”_

_“I love you too, Ches.”_

_From the other side of the park, thoughtful eyes zoned in on you, shadows falling across Chase’s face from the tree he leaned against. “She’s my sister. She has to.”_

_David rolled his eyes, huffing out of annoyance. “If you would just let the whole thing go-”_

_“I will never forgive them! I will never stop until justice is served for what they did to my family!” Chase turned on his longtime friend, bearing down on him with angered intensity. The entire matter was absolutely personal to him._

_“Doesn’t mean you should ruin her life,” David muttered, meeting Chase’s glare with a glare of his own. He wasn’t scared of Chase, no matter how big his talk was._

_“Well, you’re backing out on me, so it’s only right you help me pick another partner. I can’t do this alone,” Chase commented, turning back to watch you and Chester laugh and talk among yourselves. “I think I have a good use for her.”_

_“What’s your intention?”_

_“To get close. To find out what really makes them tick. I can’t do it, but she can,” Chase replied, a devilish smile pulling at his lips. “I have to get rid of her boy toy, though.”_

_“Oh, come on, man. Let her be happy.”_

_“It’s not about being happy. It’s about getting revenge. Now, shut your mouth and run home. I’ve got a partner to recruit.”_

~*~

You woke slowly. Slowly. You weren’t jolted into an awakening but eased into it. You blinked your eyes a few times, pulling at the wires until your earbuds popped out. A small smile at the memory started to appear, but you knew how bittersweet those old moments were. A stab of emotional pain hit you, making you frown, deep lines forming in your face.

“Sleep well?” Rob asked, noticing your awake state.

You nodded, a broken smile flashing across your face briefly. You pushed a hand into your hair, trying to brush away the dull emotions the memory had sparked. You actually thought things were going to be okay back then.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking … but who is Ches?” Rob asked, a curious glint in his eyes.

Coldness shot through you, the shock rendering you speechless for a moment. _Truth or Lie_? Chester was your last sliver of normality before things went downhill. He was a safe topic until the end of your history with him. _Truth_. Lying to Rob made you way more uneasy than you were used to. Maybe a dash of honesty would put you in better spirits. “Oh … he’s just an old boyfriend I had back in the day,” you told him, your tone dismissive.

Rob nodded in understanding, his curiosity still evident as his eyes prodded you to better explain. You had murmured his name in your sleep. He must’ve been an important part of your past, and Rob was always eager to learn more about you.

“You know how teenagers are,” you chuckled awkwardly, giving your head a shake. “I’ll be right back,” you excused yourself, unclicking your seatbelt and moving to slip past him to enter the aisle. Suddenly, the plane rumbled slightly, throwing your balance off and making you fall halfway onto Rob, your leg crooking awkwardly over his lap in a partial straddle. You gripped his shoulders out of panic, feeling his strong hands grab at your waist to try to catch you.

“Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing a bit of turbulence.”

“Yeah, no shit,” you muttered angrily beneath your breath as the plane leveled out, eyes trailing down to look at your position. “I’m going to stop straddling you now,” you commented, moving off of him and onto the aisle.

A faint blush dashed across Rob’s face, but he focused on helping you steady yourself. Before you could take off, he grabbed your hand, making you look at him. “Y/N, are you okay?” Rob asked, feeling a sense of worry. You were fairly good at hiding your emotions, but around Rob you let yourself slip sometimes.

“Yeah, I’m just tired,” you replied, a weak smile appearing on your lips. You were tired of remembering, of taking two steps back after you took one step forward. You brushed your thumb over his knuckles before pulling your hand away and heading to the restroom, giving yourself a few minutes to collect yourself. You weren’t her anymore. You were different. You were good.

~*~

“Enjoy your stay.”

You followed Rob from the hotel’s front desk to the elevator, watching your distorted reflection approach in the silver doors. You were stoked to be back on the ground and even more excited that a bed awaited you. “Fourth floor?” You asked as you waited for the doors to open.

“Yep,” Rob chirped as the elevator arrived. He walked inside, hauling his bags along with him and then leaning against the railing on the back of the elevator. He watched you press the right button and then step back to stand beside him, your eyes wandering. “You know, I’m really glad you’re here with me.”

You couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corners of your lips at his nice comment. You turned your head to look at him, noticing the drowsy happiness expressed on his face. “Why’s that?”

“I enjoy your company,” Rob replied with a small shrug, a cheeky smile on his face.

You giggled, noticing how the exhaustion was affecting the both of you. “Back at you, boss,” you murmured, bringing your eyes forward as the silver doors slid apart, revealing the entrance to the fourth floor. You grasped the handle of your suitcase and tugged it along with you as you walked with Rob to your rooms, a comfortable silence settling.

“Here we are. Whenever you wake up, text me and we’ll grab breakfast,” Rob told you as he slowed to a stop in the middle of the hallway.

“I can buy you that coffee finally, right?” You teased at the remark you had made weeks ago.

“Yeah, you can buy me that coffee,” Rob chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement. He swayed on his feet for a moment, pondering on a certain thought. “Goodnight,” he finally told you, shifting his laptop bag higher on his shoulder.

“Goodnight,” you replied, staying on the spot like he was.

Another moment.

Rob smiled and leaned forward, bringing you into a one-armed embrace, his cheek nestled against your own.

You wrapped an arm around the middle of his back, eyes automatically closing as you leaned into his touch. There was hardly a difference between hugging him and hugging a giant teddy bear. You forced yourself away from the warmth you were gradually growing attached to, a shy smile crossing your face. You hadn’t felt that way since … you started spending time with Chester. You breathed in slowly and turned to go into your room, recovering a little from the emotional blow. “Wow,” you muttered once you closed yourself inside, your hand immediately pulling out your phone to send Quinn a text.

 _You suck_.

You tossed your phone on your bed before plopping down, sprawling out across the soft white sheets, your heart still pounding obnoxiously in your chest. You knew that you should stop allowing yourself so close to Rob, but you couldn’t stop. Whatever resistance, whatever metaphorical brakes you had were being ripped from you, setting you up for that inevitable crash. Crushes turned into something much deeper over time, and that’s all you had with Rob was time. Time together at work. Time together at conventions. Time together drinking coffee and grabbing lunch. You were going to crash.

 _What did I do_?

You read Quinn’s text with a sigh, cradling your phone against your chest as you thought of your response. She was your best friend, and even though she was just as unaware of your past as Rob, you could swing telling her a few secrets.

 _I’m catching feels_.

That was one way to describe how you were feeling. You were definitely feeling something, and you knew it would turn out to be a disaster, which was why you would try everything in your power to stop it. However, you wanted to bask in your gushy feelings for a moment. You wanted to feel normal.

_How’s that my fault?_

_Wait._

_WAIT._

_WITH ROB? BECAUSE I GOT YOU TWO TO MEET_

You smirked at her realization, playfully rolling your eyes before telling her goodnight and that you would talk more when you got back. Once you hit send, you slapped your phone down on the nightstand and switched the lamp off, consciousness shattering once your head hit the pillow.

 

 

 


	5. Challenge Accepted

Sightseeing with Rob was probably the most fun you've ever had. You felt like you could breathe again, and talking about any history other than your own proved to be great. Daylight was beginning to die, but the two of you wanted to make one last stop. 

“This way I think,” Rob told you, his face buried in a map as he walked beside you.

You laughed a little, giving your head an amused shake as you pulled the map away from him. “Look!”

Rob lifted his eyes and broke out into a laugh. “Oh, there it is,” he murmured, spotting the Lincoln Memorial just up ahead. He gave you a playful nudge with his arm, blue eyes gleaming happily. He would remember this day for sure.

“Tourists,” you teased, feigning annoyance.

“Pfft! Me, tourist? Have you ever been to this side of the country?” Rob chuckled, cocking an eyebrow out of curiosity.

Your anxiety clicked up a notch, but you kept breathing and acting normal.  _ Truth or Lie?  _ Unfortunately, this trip had brought you closer to home, but you didn't want to give him any indication that you had ever stepped foot on this side of the country. You had to be careful.  _ Lie.  _ “Okay, you got me. I haven't,” you lied, immediately wishing you could take back your answer. You hated lying to him.

“Well, that's why you've got me. To show you the ropes,” he teased as the two of you approached the popular attraction. He shot you a playful wink before heading up the white stairs, an excited bounce in his step.

You were sure to remain at his side and not behind him, inwardly laughing at yourself because of the temptation to look where you weren’t supposed to. “This is so cool,” you breathed out in awe, lifting your eyes to explore. Most of the people had already cleared out, but there were a few visitors still taking pictures and looking around.

Rob led you past the pillars to check out the inside, his hand going to his pocket to fish out his phone. He took a few pictures as you approached the statue, an intrigued look on his face.

You stood close to his side, glancing over his shoulder to look at the photos he was taking. “That's a good shot,” you murmured, earning a smile from him.

“Would you like me to take a photo of you two?” A voice came from behind you.

You turned to see a woman around her late forties, a small smile adorning her lips. “Oh … Uh,” you stuttered, surprised at her kind offer.

“That'd be great. Thank you so much,” Rob answered, handing his phone to her and moving to stand in front of the large statue. He motioned for you to join him with a nod of his head, his warm smile beckoning you.

A shy expression crossed your face as you stood at his side, unsure of where to put your hands.

“Don't be shy,” Rob chuckled, curling an arm around your waist to pull you flush against his side.

You threw your arm around his shoulders, your other hand resting on your hip as you smiled for the camera. You couldn't help but enjoy the possessive-like grip on your waist, his hold secure and strong.

The lady smiled and nodded before approaching and handing Rob’s phone back. “You two are cute together.”

You immediately blushed and looked elsewhere as Rob laughed and thanked her. You couldn’t help but wonder why he didn't clarify that you two were just friends. He had made it clear to you that he thought of you as more than just his assistant.

Rob pulled up the picture and leaned towards you to show you. “That's a good picture. Mind if I post it on Instagram?”

You felt fear seize you, denial forming on your lips. Would you be recognized? On the other hand, you were just one person out of billions. His fans would probably just brush off your existence, and that would be that. “No, I don't mind,” you forced yourself to murmur. He would be curious if you made a big deal out of it.  

“Great. What's your user?” Rob asked as he began tapping away on his phone.

“Oh … I don't have one,” you replied, eyes flickering elsewhere as you expected ridicule.

“Not your thing, huh? Totally understable. It starts to feel like a chore at a certain point,” Rob chuckled as he tucked his phone into his back pocket. He took in the sight of the memorial one last time before leading you back outside, where the sky had darkened. “Well, it’s late. Want to head back to the hotel and just order room service?”

You couldn’t ignore the ache in your feet from walking around all day. “Yeah, that sounds perfect,” you replied with a nod.

“Great. I’ll get us a cab.”

One day down, two more to go. You were sad that your exploration day had come to a close, but telling from Rob’s excitement, the next two days at the convention were going to blow your mind. He was shocked that you hadn’t watched the show, though.

“I promise I will watch the show from beginning to end,” you told him while inside the cab, your hand rising in a pledging motion. You had been curious about the show, but you just hadn’t sat down and watched it yet. Evidently it was one of those shows you binge-watch.

“Here we are,” the cab driver announced once he stopped in front of Hyatt Regency Washington.

You gazed out of the window at the hotel, still not believing you actually had a room to yourself there. Rob had told you that the convention would be held there too, which was a convenience because you didn’t have to worry about making travel arrangements back and forth between the hotel and the convention.

“Thanks,” Rob told the driver while paying the fare. He slipped out on his side and joined you on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, eyes shifting upwards to gaze at the stars in the sky. “Beautiful night,” he commented as the two of you made your way to the entrance. He felt his phone buzz rapidly, making him smile a little before attending to whoever messaged him.

You crooked an eyebrow in curiosity, having noticed someone had been texting him throughout the day.

Rob caught your look and slowed his steps, showing you the plethora of messages from Richard. “He’s guilt tripping me because I skipped out today,” he told you.

“He just misses his buddy, that’s all,” you replied, sighing softly at the gust of cool air that hit you once you walked into the lobby. You couldn’t wait to relax.

“Oh my God, it’s Rob!” An excited whisper came from your left, sparking a chorus of giggles.

You turned to Rob as he joined your side, a smile growing on his face as he waved at the Supernatural fans. “I can wait here if you want to …,” you trailed off, motioning to the fans with your eyes.

“Oh, yeah, it won’t take but a minute,” he told you, noticing the phones starting to come out. He shot you a thankful smile before heading over, falling into embraces and taking pictures with that cheeky smile of his.

“Who is she?”

“My friend, Y/N. She’s my assistant, helps me stay in one piece,” Rob chuckled, sending a wink your way before leaning over to take another photo.

You looked the other way, hiding the blush threatening to appear. You were awkward when put in the spotlight. Once he finished up and said goodbye, you followed him to the elevator, hearing the fans gush over Rob behind you. In another reality you’d probably be in their shoes. “Remember you have to wake up early tomorrow to welcome the fans to the convention with Rich,” you told him, eyes growing distant as you tried to run through the schedule in your head. Saturday was chaotic for Rob. He had multiple photo op sessions, a meet and greet session, an autograph session, a panel with Matt and Rich, and the Saturday Night Concert. “You have a bunch of things tomorrow. Is there anything I can do to help?” You asked, starting to worry. Tomorrow was basically your day one.

Rob noticed your nervousness, his hand immediately going to your shoulder once the elevator doors closed. “Hey, it’ll be fine. You’ll get into the hang of things. All I need you to do for me tomorrow is to make sure I don’t go to the wrong place for photo ops or something,” Rob assured you, giving you a calming smile. “And I might need a coffee or two.”

You cracked a smile and nodded, head tilting up slightly to meet his eyes. “This should be reversed. I should be prepping you,” you pointed out with a small laugh, feeling the elevator shift upwards beneath your feet.

“Well, I’ve done quite a few conventions. I know the ropes, and you will too. So, as your boss and your friend, I’m ordering you to relax,” Rob told you, giving your shoulder a friendly squeeze before leading you out of the elevator once it halted on your floor.  

“Yes, sir,” you murmured beneath your breath, forcing yourself to worry later. At his request, you went into his room, fingers twining together in front of you as you gazed around the space.

Rob kicked off his shoes and snatched up the room service menu before sprawling out across his bed on his stomach, earning a giggle from you. He patted the spot beside him, scooting over to give you room to lay down beside him. “What’re we hungry for?”

You glanced over the menu, weighing your options. “Good question,” you murmured, biting into your bottom lip as you pondered. “I’m feeling meat,” you told him.

“Meat. Sounds good. Steak?”

“Steak,” you repeated in agreement.

“Oh, look, crab cakes.”

You and Rob splurged a little bit on the room service, ordering enough food for the two of you and probably another person. In your defense, the two of you had burned a lot of energy touring today. “How much is my half?” You asked as you turned to sit on the edge of his bed.

“The price of my two or three lattes I’ll probably need tomorrow,” Rob replied as he hopped up to grab the television remote.

You gave him a look as he returned to sit next to you, only receiving a warm smile from him. “So, what’s going on at the convention now?” You asked, reaching down to pull off your black sneakers.

“They’re getting ready for the Karaoke Party probably,” Rob replied, checking his phone to see a call coming in. “It’s Rich,” he told you before answering, a smile immediately tugging at his lips as his friend greeted him. “Did you miss me, buddy? I know … I know. Yes, I had fun. What? Why? Rich, don’t you say anything stupid, okay? Y/N, he wants to talk to you,” Rob turned to you, holding his phone out.

You hesitated before pressing the phone to your ear, a confused look crossing your face. “Hello?”

“Hey, Y/N. It’s Rich.”

“Hey, how’re you holding up without your other half?” You asked, sending a teasing smile Rob’s way. You had soon discovered that those two were inseparable.

“I’m doing what I can. How are  _ you  _ holding up with my other half?” Richard fired back, a degree of playfulness in his tone.

“Fine. He’s been a good tour guide,” you answered calmly, facing the challenge head on.

Richard laughed a little at your response, noting the forced composure you put into your answer. “Well, I just wanted to say hello. I’m looking forward to teasing-I mean seeing you tomorrow.”

“Back at you, Rich. I’ll be glad to return the favor,” you told him, giving Rob a thumbs up to let him know nothing was going on.

“Looking forward to the challenge. Sleep tight, don’t let Rob bite. Unless you’re into that, of course.”

You quickly said goodbye and nearly tossed the phone back to Rob, your face flushing at Richard’s comment. He was playing with fire, alright. You couldn’t help but smile a little though at the playful banter. It did you some good to interact with positive people like him. Before Rob could question you, there was a knock on the door, which sent you into action. You darted towards the sound, nearly tripping over your sneakers that you had left on the floor. With a twist of your wrist, you popped open the door and greeted the man with all of your food. There was something about the arrival of food that felt so satisfying. “Hi, thanks,” you told him, stepping aside to let him push the cart into the room.

“I gotta go, Rich. I’ll see you early in the morning,” Rob spoke into the phone before hanging up. He grabbed his wallet and handed over the tip before thanking the man, his face brightening up at the sight of dinner.

You had the same look on your face, your mind working to figure out what you were going to dig into first. “Decisions, decisions,” you muttered, rubbing your hands together.

A soft burst of laughter sounded from Rob, eyes squeezing shut briefly in amusement. “Want to watch a movie or something?” He suggested as he pulled the cart closer to the bed.

“Sure, are we eating at the table or …?” You trailed off as he turned to crawl onto the bed, the sight making you blush as his hips swayed a bit, his hands and knees dipping into the mattress, rocking his balance.

Rob turned and sat down among the pillows, legs crossing at his ankles casually. “Oh, the bed is fine. We can see the TV better,” he replied, smiling warmly at you, eyes inviting.

Well, you weren’t going to argue with that. You moved the cart closer to his side before sitting down beside him, your stiff posture gradually relaxing as you sunk back against the pillows. “I’m guessing you’re making me pick the movie?”

“Sure am, sweetheart,” Rob chuckled as he turned to face the cart, his focus shifting to the various plates of food.

You scoffed at the pet name, earning another light round of laughter from him. “Obviously we shouldn’t do horror because we’re sissies,” you muttered, pointing the television remote in front of you to filter through the selection of movies.

“Oh, I’m a sissy? It felt like your heart was about to burst through your chest,” Rob teased, looking over his shoulder at you, a challenge in his eyes.  _ Try and argue with me _ .

Now, Rob was a total sweetheart, which you had figured out very early on, but you had also discovered that he could be fairly bossy when he wanted to be. Having dealt with authoritative men all your life, you always felt your stubborn, take-no-shit attitude burn within you, your tongue ready for the cutting like a razor blade. “I’m sure you were just as scared. You clung to me like white on rice,” you spilled the words before your brain could catch up with your daring move. You had usually been good at putting a filter on that mouth of yours, but you outdid yourself this time.

Rob’s jaw clenched briefly, eyes narrowing a fraction of a degree. “Put on a scary movie. We’ll see just how scared we get,” Rob told you, his words an order.

You felt a shiver etch down your spine, but you ignored it and gave him a sweet smile. “Challenge accepted,  _ boss _ ,” you replied, putting emphasis on his title like the smartass you were. You turned from him and glanced through the horror section, settling on a fairly popular scary movie that was supposed to have a good number of pop-ups. You hated pop-ups, but you were going to woman up a little bit and put Rob in his place.

“What do you want first?”

“Let’s work on those crab cakes you were so insistent we get,” you smirked, watching him snatch up the plate with enthusiasm. To share from one plate, you had to scoot closer to his side, your shoulder a few inches away from his. “Oh, wait,” you commented before hopping off the bed and switching off the light, the white glow from the television basking the bed in soft light. It was enough light to where the two of you could eat, but it was dark enough to produce wicked shadows and an eerie atmosphere. “Now, if you get too scared and need me to turn the light on, don’t hesitate to tell me, okay?” You told him in a mockingly sugar sweet voice, openly taunting him.

“ _ Y/N _ ,  _ get in the bed _ .” The demand came a heartbeat later, voice gruff and like a growl.

You had never obeyed an order so quick in your life. You crawled back to your spot, stifling a laugh as you settled and began eating quietly. The first twenty or so minutes went by well, your focus divided between the movie, your food, and Rob’s reactions. Unfortunately, he was doing well too. You finished off your steak, sliding the empty fork between your lips slowly as your eyes hovered on the screen.

“Pie?”

“Please,” you responded, breaking your focus to accept the plate with a hefty slice of lemon meringue pie on it. You swiped the edge of the fork across the mound of whipped cream covering the surface, your tongue curving across the steel to intake the sweetness. Suddenly, the scene playing became quiet. Too quiet. Something was about to pop up. To distract yourself, you dipped your fork into your slice of pie, gathering a large amount of whipped cream.

Rob let his hand fly down, grabbing onto your thigh a second before the actual pop-up came up on the screen.

A loud gasp left you, your arms flailing in panic at the double scare. Your heart shot up in your throat, heart rate quickening. “Rob!” You went to scold him for cheating until you noticed that your fork had no traces of pie on it. With a wince, you lifted your eyes, spotting your missing piece splattered all across Rob’s face. Good thing he shaved recently because it would’ve been all in his beard. “Oh, shit,” you broke out into a fit of laughter, unable to conceal your amusement.

“It’s okay. I’ll take the pie to the face because I won,” Rob replied, dragging his fingertips across his face to collect the sugary substance before dipping them into his mouth, sucking his fingers clean.

Yeah,  _ oh shit _ , alright. You nearly choked as you sharply inhaled a gust of air, trying to reboot yourself after that sensual sight. “Yeah, I-uh … accept my defeat,” you tumbled over your words, one of your hands gripping at the white sheets to steady yourself.

As if you didn’t feel tortured enough, Rob shot a wink your way, his tongue darting out to lap at the corner of his mouth to clean up any excess pie.

_ Tease _ . You looked away to nibble at the rest of your pie, not really interested in the pie on your plate but the pie on his-

“Want a beer?”

“Yes,” you replied within a beat, needing a distraction.

Rob cracked open two cold bottles, leaning over to place yours in your hand. And that’s when things took a dive. You and Rob went through a few bottles each, staying up into the late hours of the night giggling and talking about the randomest things.

You had the sense to cut yourself off when you started to feel a little too giggly. You didn’t want to reveal anything in your nearly drunken state. “No more … no more,” you muttered, snatching Rob’s bottle from him and placing it on the nightstand. You were starting to feel super drowsy, which led to you drifting back into the pillows, your eyes lazily watching Rob follow suit. “Let’s finish this movie and then I’ll head out,” you told him, trying to fight off your exhaustion for another thirty minutes but to no avail. Your eyes fluttered shut, and you were out like a light, Rob slipping into a deep sleep a minute later.

~*~

You woke to silence like usual. Crisp silence. Nothing was different, except you felt warmer. You blinked your eyes open, groaning weakly as the sunlight filtering through the window burned your eyes. You were greeted with a sharp throbbing within your head, reminding you of the drinking you should’ve avoided last night. You pushed your head harder against what you thought was a pillow until it moved, making you jerk your head up in surprise. You were nestled against Rob’s shoulder, your arm and his somehow becoming twined in the middle of the night. “Oh, man,” you muttered beneath your breath as you began to untangle yourself from him. What time was it? You reached into the back pocket of your shorts to retrieve your phone and check the time.  _ 8:56 A.M. _ You blinked a few times, trying to remember what in the world was first on Rob’s schedule. Photo ops and autographs were later on in the day. There was something … something with Richard. “Oh, shit! Rob! Wake up!” You resorted to waking him up wildly, knowing there was no time to coax him into an awake state. You pushed at his side, trying to rouse him.

“Huh? What?” Rob muttered, struggling to even open his eyes, much less lift his head.

“You have to do the welcome session with Rich in under thirty minutes!” You rose your voice, attempting to jump-start him.

“Thirty minutes! What?” Rob sat up quickly, immediately letting out a groan of pain as his own headache set in.

You glanced down at yourself and then at him, wincing at the sight. You were still in the clothes from yesterday, and both of you were slightly hungover. Great way to start the day. “Okay … okay … go hop in the shower. I’ll lay out your clothes and run downstairs to the coffee shop to get something to help with the hangover,” you went into action, adapting to the high-intensity situation. You darted over to his side of the bed and threw his arm over your shoulders, guiding him to the bathroom as he still struggled to fully wake up. “Work with me, Rob,” you encouraged him as you leaned over to start the shower, supporting his weight on your side.

Rob rubbed tiredly at his eyes before trying to tug his shirt up over his head, his arms crossing and becoming twisted and stuck.

You gritted your teeth as your quick movements sent another sharp pulsing through your head. “I’ll get you there in time,” you muttered mostly to yourself as you helped him yank his shirt off. “You can do your pants, right?” You asked on your way out the bathroom door. You had to hurry up and head downstairs to grab him coffee and food. You rummaged through his suitcase to pull out a white short sleeve button-down, a pair of jeans, and, with a blush, a pair of black briefs. You tossed the clothing on his bed with a sigh, mind reeling to figure out what to do next. You turned to the cart full of empty dishes and poured the melted ice cubes from the ice bucket into an empty glass, knowing it was better than nothing until you got back. You made a quick stop in your room to grab a few pills of aspirin and to throw your hair up, feeling sticky and dirty from yesterday. You ran, more like lumbered, back into his room and set half of the pills near your makeshift glass of water before shoving your socked feet into your sneakers and heading for the elevator, popping the painkillers into your mouth as you speed-walked with determination.

What else helped cure a hangover? You reached the coffee shop in record time and were glad to see that the line was short. Everyone must’ve been in the theater. You plucked a banana from one of the food bowls and approached the counter to order two lattes. You needed a shot of caffeine if you were going to keep moving at this pace. You paid for the banana and the lattes before dashing back to the elevator, hoping that Rob had woken up some and at least gotten halfway dressed. You stopped at his door and knocked, using the waiting time to sip at your coffee.

A few moments later, Rob opened the door, clearly more awake and panicked. “Hey!” He greeted, his jeans still undone and loose around his hips. He was still struggling, but at least he was functioning somewhat.

You entered his room and closed the door, thrusting the coffee and banana into his hands once he adjusted his pants. “Drink. Eat,” you told him, looking over to make sure that the aspirin and water were gone. You checked your phone for the time.  _ 9:13 _ .

“I completely forgot to set an alarm last night,” Rob groaned as he took a seat on the edge of his bed. He bit into the banana and chewed slowly, a tired expression on his face.

“It’s my fault. I should’ve … done something,” you replied, sipping profusely at your coffee. “We’re gonna have to head down there in a minute. Can you function?” You asked as you tucked your phone back into your pocket.

“Yeah, the walk will help,” Rob replied, hauling himself to his feet and tossing the banana peel into the trash can. He grabbed his phone and room key off the nightstand before following you out of the hotel room.

“Hold on,” you told him before rushing into your room to grab your schedule and map. There were certain service corridors you could take him through to get him to the stage without being stopped by fans. You joined him out in the hallway and then led the way, throwing your eyes over your shoulder every so often to check up on him. He seemed to be recovering fairly quickly the longer he kept walking and the more he kept drinking. You decided to take the flight of stairs, knowing the elevators were probably getting busier. “I’ll get someone to get a bottle of water to you while you’re on stage. When you’re on, I’m going to head back to my room and shower, and then I’ll meet you backstage,” you reeled off the plan as the two of you took the steps quickly.

“What do I have after the welcome session?” Rob asked, his hand clutching onto the rail as he hobbled down the stairs.

“Your next thing is your meet and greet with Rich and Matt at 1:10, so you have some time to relax beforehand,” you replied, coming to a stop in front of a door. You pushed it open and led him through the corridor and through another door that led into the backstage area.

“There you are! Where have you been?” Richard exclaimed as he jogged over to the two of you, relief washing over him at your arrival.

“Um … we slept in?” You offered the explanation.

“We?” Richard repeated, a smirk pulling at his lips.

_ Damn it _ . “Watch him. He had a few beers last night. I’ll have one of the volunteers put a bottle of water out there for him just in case,” you told Richard, your eyes lingering on Rob as he pulled on a blue coat to represent one of the Founding Fathers. You didn’t have the energy to question it.

“You got it. Thanks for getting him here,” Richard told you with complete seriousness.

You flashed a smile his way before heading to your room, really looking forward to that shower. Your very skin felt heavy with dirt and grime, your hair not feeling much different. Once you entered your room, you started pulling off your clothes, humming softly as the cool air from the air conditioning brushed across your bare skin. What a morning. You set your alarm for twenty-five minutes and then hurried into the shower, being quick but thorough. The welcome session didn’t last very long, and you wanted to be punctual. After fixing your hair, you pulled on a white T-shirt, eyes trained on your reflection in the mirror. White shirt, black jeans. You needed some color. You grabbed a red and black flannel shirt from your bag and pulled it on, opting to keep it unbuttoned. White Converse were pulled on, and then you were set, feeling much better. You checked your phone and saw you had a few minutes left. After checking your reflection for the hundredth time, you headed for the backstage area, making it just inside the door before you were stopped.

“Excuse me, ma’am. You’re not allowed back here,” one of the volunteers told you, evidently having the job of guarding the area from wandering fans.

“Oh, I’m-”

“She’s with me,” Rob’s voice popped up a moment later, an amused smile appearing on his face as him and Richard approached. “You look like a fan,” he commented.

Once the volunteer understood and walked off, you met them in the middle, shooting Rob a glare as he chuckled at you. “Laugh all you want. Next time I’m not getting your sorry ass out of bed,” you smirked, provoking a laugh from Richard.

“You must have been banging pretty hard on his door to wake him up. He’s quite the deep sleeper,” Richard commented, giving his best friend a playful nudge with his elbow.

You and Rob met eyes, a matching blush appearing on your cheeks at the fact that you were already in his room. In his bed. “Yep, thought I was going to bruise my knuckles,” you replied, giving your hand an exaggerated flex.

“Well, what are you guys doing now?” Richard asked, checking the time on his phone.

You knew you had about three hours until Rob’s meet and greet with Richard and Matt. “You’ve got three hours left. How’re you feeling?” You asked Rob quietly, studying his expression. He seemed much better, his face full of lively color.

“Better. Thank you, by the way. You handled this morning like a pro,” Rob praised you with a warm smile and a hand on your shoulder.

You merely shrugged, dropping your head briefly in bashfulness at the compliment. You were hardly ever praised for your work, but Rob always took the initiative to talk to you about the work you did.

“How about Y/N and I grab lunch with you and Matt before the meet and greet? She’s meeting everyone today,” Rob suggested, the hand on your shoulder drifting over your back to your other shoulder to pull you into a playful squeeze.

Richard watched the two of you interact with a faint grin on his face. “Sounds great. You should invite her to dinner tonight. The rest of the gang are flying in soon and we’re all having dinner. That’d be the perfect place for her to meet the guys and girls,” Richard replied.

“Yeah! Good idea, Rich. Do either of those plans interest you?” Rob asked you, keeping his arm draped over your shoulders casually.

“Sounds … fun,” you told him, giving him an approving nod and smile. You were excited to meet Rob’s friends that he spoke so highly of, but you couldn’t ignore the twinge of nervousness you felt at going to a social event.

“Great. I’ll see you soon, Rich. We’re going to head up and relax for a little while,” Rob told his friend, pulling away from you to head towards the exit.

“Alright. Take it easy, you crazy kids,” Richard chuckled, shooting a wink your way.

You fired a challenging look back at him before following Rob into the service corridor, a yawn breaking from you.

“Aw, is someone sleepy?” Rob cooed at you jokingly.

“You’re just as tired as me,” you pointed out as you headed into the stairwell and then up the stairs, hearing a yawn sound from him a moment later. It was a fact that yawns were contagious.

“So, we’ll take a cat nap until twelve and then head down to the restaurant?” Rob suggested, matching your pace as you bounded up the stairs, sharing an eagerness to lay back down.

“Sounds good. I’m so proud of you, planning all by yourself,” you teased back, sending him a sweet smile before going through the door that led out into the hallway. You suddenly felt strong arms encircle your waist, lifting you up off the floor and spinning you wildly, a shocked cry parting from your lips.

“You just love to tease, don’t you?” Rob murmured near your ear, bordering on a growl that sent heat flaring through you. He pulled you flush against his chest, arms securing themselves around your body.

“Look who’s talking,” you shot back, scoffing openly at him. You were too stubborn to shut up, which led to another spin, feet coming off the floor as he twirled the two of you down the hallway, laughter erupting from the both of you. You attempted to stop him, swinging your foot down to jam between his ankles, making him trip and send both of you sprawling out in the middle of the hallway.

“Ouch,” Rob chuckled, rolling onto his back, chest rumbling with laughter.

You lightly punched his shoulder before pushing yourself to your feet. “Come on, let’s get you to bed,” you murmured, helping his giggly self up and leading him to his room. “Set your alarm this time, Benedict,” you reminded him as you left him by his door.

“Yes, ma’am,” Rob replied, giving you a smile before disappearing inside of his room.

Now, you could relax. You nearly sprinted to your bed once you got in your room, shoes and flannel shirt flying off. In under a minute, you were curled up beneath the sheets, arms wrapping around yourself where Rob’s arms were, the burn of his touch still lingering.


End file.
